Sarcophagus of Prince Yuan Mi

524

This stone coffin, as well as the accompanying epitaph tablet and cover, were reportedly recovered from the tomb of Prince Yaun Mi located in Lijiaao southwest of Loyang in Henan province. The long sides are engraved in an intensely linear style with ten scenes illustrating paragons of piety. In the early sixth century, the fundamental Confucian virtue of filial piety reemerged as a favorite subject of northern carvers. Another significant aspect of the decor is the rather rudimentary and highly decorative landscape setting. The coffin documents an important stage in the development of the pictorial tradition in Chinese art.

BACKGROUND
This sarcophagus was discovered in the tomb of Prince Cheng Ching (pronounced Chung Cheeng), whose name means "fitting example." Prince of Chao and grandson of the sixth emperor of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Cheng Ching was a successful military general who died in the prime of his life and was buried north of the capital city of Loyang in the Pei Mon mountains. His coffin and tomb were commissioned by his nephew, the ninth emperor of the Wei Dynasty.

The tomb, a chamber inside a large, artificially constructed earthen mound, was elaborately decorated with wall paintings. The coffin rested on a stone base and around it were found sacrificial vessels, symbolic figurines, and utensils. Placed on the ground, slightly to the south, was the memorial tablet (46.2.5-6) inscribed with the Prince's biography, a eulogy, and the date of death.

The shape of the sarcophagus is traditional, with the head end being higher and wider, and the cover being curved.

SARCOPHAGUS
The Sarcophagus is carved from dark grey limestone in six slabs (the top is missing). The carving is in very low relief, and it is polished to form an even, shiny black surface, leaving the background rough and grey. The details are incised.

The Sarcophagus of Filial Piety is a vivid example of the hybrid religious beliefs in China during this period. While the main subject matter is that of Confucian morality, Taoist deities reign in the skies, and Buddhist imagery dots the center of the long sides and the short end where the head of the Prince once lay.

COMPOSITION
At first glance, the composition on the long sides is almost too crowded and complex to read. But, upon closer inspection one discovers that there is a logical coherence. The sides are bounded by tall landscape elements which are arranged in a complex pattern of rock slabs with jagged overhanging caps and leafy trees. Sarcophagi such as these represent some of the earliest depictions of landscape in Chinese art. The landscape along the bottom creates a deep middle distance that is divided into space cells where figures are actually placed in space. Space cells are formed by landscape elements in front of them which the figures rise above, indicating that they are behind it. Then the figures are flanked by trees, whose height leads one's eye back to the next row of small rocks and trees.

These space cells enclose a series of vignettes illustrating famous Confucian examples of filial piety, each labeled with a vertical cartouche.

The overall style of the relief reflects the formative attempts at landscape painting typical of this period:

Depth is conveyed through overlap or stacking instead of through a system of perspective or diminution of scale.

There is a sharp linearity of form and an emphasis on outline.

CONFUCIANISM & FILIAL PIETY
The most important reliefs, five scenes on each side, represent the Confucian virtue of filial piety and illustrate love and respect for parents and old age. The great philosopher Confucius (K'ung Fu-tzu, 551-479 B.C.) considered jen (love and respect for others) to be the essence of humanity. Confucius first set down the golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." To this end, Confucius formulated the Five Relationships:

between ruler and subject

between father and son

between husband and wife

between older brother and younger brother

between older friend and younger friend

The careful observance of these he recognized as fundamental to the social order. The Confucian emphasized reverence for elders in these relationships, but the obligation was not to be one-sided. The Five Relationships were to be governed by ten attitudes:

love in the father; filial piety in the son

gentility in the eldest brother; humility and respect in the younger

righteous behavior in the husband; obedience in the wife

humane consideration in elders; deference in juniors

benevolence in rulers; loyalty in subjects

For many centuries after his death, these teachings served as the basis for education in China. The following exemplary narratives are among those illustrated on the sarcophagus:

Lao Lai-tzu, at the age of 70, dressed as a little boy and played with a pull-toy before his parents to make them feel young.

Kuo Chu sacrificed his own child for his mother.

Ming Tse Chien went without clothes so that his parents could dress his brothers.

A man treated a wooden effigy of his dead mother as if she were alive.

The cartouches on the sides depict ancestral portraits, which demonstrate an appropriate respect for elders. The appearance of Cheng Ching's name and the fact that his nephew commissioned the tomb also fit well with the Confucian themes.

TAOIST IMMORTALS AND SKY SPIRITS
Up above these scenes is the realm of the heavens, where auspicious deities, stately ancestors and wild-eyed demons cavort among wispy clouds and floral scrolls. The citizens ofthis sky include:

Taoist Immortals who ride on the backs of phoenixes, indicating the tomb occupant's wish for longevity, in terms of the immortality of the soul.

Fierce monsters, called Thunders, who rumble and squat throughout the sky. In ancient texts, they are described as having pig-like faces with glaring eyes, five or six horns, fleshy blue serrated wings, gold colored double-taloned hands and feet, and voluminous stomachs They are clad in scarlet knee breeches, bound about the waist by a leopard's skin. Despite their fearsome appearance, Thunders had an apotropaic function in which they scared away other demons, protected children, and, when necessary, could induce childbirth.

Directional animals, including the White Tiger of the East, The Red Bird of the South (a phoenix), and the Green Dragon of the East. Their presence helps set the world in alignment, thus ensuring that no calamities will occur.

A portrait of a pair of solemn scholar ancestors appear through square windows in heaven twice, on each long side of the sarcophagus. Their presence on the sarcophagus and over the scene indicates their approval. Thus they enhance the reputation of the tomb occupant and his family.

BUDDHIST SYMBOLISM
Buddhist iconography also appears but is well integrated with the Taoist and Confucian symbols.

The short side where the head once lay shows a bridge over a lotus pond, where two scholar/guards flank a temple front strung with bells. These bells represent the twelve pairs of musical accords. The temple door itself is supported by two monster caryatids. In the sky, among the floral tendrils, are two mounted beasts who flank a flaming pearl, which is not only associated with the dragon (imperial power), but is also a reference to a Buddhist holy king or defender of the faith. (chakravartin)

In the center of one long side, a lion-like monster head clenches a ring in its mouth. This image was common in China as an apotropaic protector against demons. It was commonly placed over doorways and on important vessels. Hanging from the ring is a stone chime and a jewel, an image which commonly appeared in Buddhist art. The stone chime is also supposed to remind a ruler of those who die in his defense. Above the creature, two birds perch on lotus pedestals.

IMPERIAL SYMBOLISM
On the opposite short side a wiry dragon cavorts among rain clouds. Its five claws indicate its imperial connection and the esteemed rank of the Prince.

TOUR TIPS
Use on the following tours:

Chinese Art

Asian Art

Visual Elements

Religion and Art

Highlights of the Collection

Death and Funeral Practices

Transition suggestions:

from the bells shown on the larger end to Chinese or Japanese bronze bells

depiction of landscape to Japanese screens (Landscape of the Four Seasons or White Herons in Plum and Willow)

from the Confucian scholars shown on the end to the T'ang tomb set court officials

from the sarcophagus to the T'ang Tomb Retinue (both would have been found in contemporary tombs)

Compare the idea of filial piety and respect depicted here with West's Portrait of the Drummond Family or the Largillière.
Compare the Chinese ideas of tomb burial with the Egyptian; contrast the relief style shown here with the False Door.

RELATED ACTIVITIES
The inscription which accompanies this sarcophagus tells us that this was carved to publicly express Cheng's great achievements. It describes his position as diplomatic envoy and commanding general and records his eminent family pedigree, tracing his lineage back to the Chou Dynasty and crediting the great virtue inherited from the Chou as responsible for his outstanding accomplishments. The motifs illustrated associate him with the Confucian virtue of filial piety.

The Institute takes pride in announcing the purchase of six great stone bas-reliefs from the tomb of a Chinese general. The six reliefs comprise the memorial tablet and its protective cover, the two ends and the two sides of the sarcophagus of Prince Cheng Ching who died in 524 A.D. They form one of the most complete groups of Chinese tomb sculptures in the world. Due to the fact that the memorial tablet and sarcophagus have been preserved together the group may also be considered unique.The six reliefs enable us to reconstruct an almost unbroken tradition of richly decorated Chinese tombs. Moreover, they specifically document a great period in Chinese history and art, for Cheng Ching belonged to the Northern Wei dynasty (386-534 A.D.). The Weis unified a vast empire and fostered the universal spread of Buddhism and, in the arts, unparalleled building, the perfection of sculpture, and the foundation of landscape painting in China. The tablet and sarcophagus from Cheng Ching's tomb bring to Minneapolis not only representative examples of carving in relief from the greatest period of Chinese sculpture, but an even more important record of a landscape style in painting which has not survived on more perishable materials such as silk, paper, or wood.The bas-reliefs formed an ensemble to commemorate a prince of both illustrious background and character. The Northern Weis were by far the most important dynasty of what is popularly called the Six Dynasties Period (220-589 A.D.). They were the famous Toba Tartars who expanded southward under the dynastic name of Wei. They maintained their capital at Ta-t'ung-fu until 494 A.D., and at Loyang after that date. It was at Loyang, in Honan Province, that they became great patrons of the arts, and it was there that Cheng Ching lived and died.As his memorial tablet relates, the Prince was the grandson of the Sixth Emperor of the Northern Wei dynasty, the son of the Prince of Chao, and the uncle of the Ninth Emperor of the dynasty. His familiar name was Mien, but his canonical name, given by his nephew the Emperor, was Cheng Ching, meaning "fitting example." He, also, was Prince of Chao, and Commanding General of the Southern Expedition, in which he was successful. He died in the prime of his life and was buried in the Pei Mon Mountains, to the north of Loyang, in 524 A.D.His nephew the Emperor definitely composed the eulogy, on his memorial tablet and very probably—although he too died within the year—supervised the construction of his elaborately decorated tomb. The Northern Wei emperors and their artists and craftsmen followed the general pattern and scale of tombs of the Han Dynasty, the most famous of which is that of Wu Liang-t-zu in Shantung Province. The tomb chamber was situated inside a large, artificially constructed earthen mound called a tumulus and must have been decorated with bas-reliefs or wall paintings. The sarcophagus probably rested on a stone base or couch, with the memorial tablet, according to tradition, placed on the ground and slightly to the south. The chamber doubtless contained sacrificial vessels and other symbolic utensils and figurines.The bas-reliefs, consisting of six slabs three to four inches thick, were carved in the dark grey limestone of the region. Like those from the Wu tomb, they were probably executed by highly skilled artisans rather than creative artists, for they are copies in stone of the prevailing style of landscape painting. The major figures and forms on the stones stand in relief. They have been polished to form an even surface, but the recesses between were left slightly rough. Painters' details were achieved through the use of incised lines. Although there are no traces of polychromy, it is possible that they may have been painted. The designers followed precedent in selecting their subjects, for the tablet, cover, and ends of the sarcophagus show conventionalized animals and symbols common to all Chinese art. The long sides present, in keeping with the classical tradition of Chou and Han times, scenes of filial piety set in a landscape.It is clear that these bas-reliefs are closely related to other sculptures of the period. Line is characteristic of both. If one compares the bas-reliefs with the Institute's small Bodhisattva from Lung-mên, one can see that the appeal of this sculpture is more linear than tactile. The stones from Cheng Ching's tomb illustrate the general style of low relief carving of the day and represent one phase of sculpture from a period of extraordinary activity in all types of carving. It is interesting to note that our reliefs are contemporary with the great Buddhist carvings in the cave temples of Yün-kang and Lung-mên.The relationship between our reliefs and contemporary painting is especially important. Under Wei literature and patronage the Chinese founded a great tradition in landscape painting, and our reliefs form one of the earliest surviving examples of this school of painting. They developed a better scale between figures and landscape and many sophisticated touches such as parallel perspective. However, line remained the dominant characteristic, as it did in sculpture. The designs in our reliefs are based on wall paintings by some of the leading artists of our time. Thus the reliefs represent, despite limitations of engraving in stone which prohibited variation in value, a more fluid and truly great landscape tradition which extended from the Buddhist cave temples of Tun-huang to the tombs of Gukenkri in Korea and Tung-kuo in Manchuria.We place special value on our reliefs, for they represent the current style at the dynastic capital of Loyang rather than the provincial style at the outposts of the Empire. There is little question that the handling of the figures in relation to the landscape is more refined on our reliefs than on the walls of the cave temples. The acquisition of these stone copies of Six Dynasties painting by the Institute makes Minneapolis one of the few centers in the world where the style can be studied. There are only about six similar tomb sculptures in other museums and even fewer examples of these early landscapes on perishable materials.The memorial tablet and epitaph is square and flat and bears a long inscription including the Prince's biography, the Emperor's touching eulogy, and the date 524 A.D. The inscription was protected by the cover, which fits over the tablet. Along the sides are eight blank squares indicating places for sacrificial vessels. The cover is surrounded by a bevelled edge of conventionalized dragon heads and contains remnants of bronze handles at the four corners. The sides of both tablet and cover are also decorated with dragons. Each measures 39 by 40 inches, the tablet being approximately nine and the cover approximately seven inches in depth.The shape of the sarcophagus is traditional with the exception of being higher and wider at the head end. Judging from the two ends, its cover must have been slightly curved. The head end bears an elaborate scene including a bridge leading over a lotus pond to a gate decorated with twenty-four bells representing twelve pairs of musical accords. Two guardians, standing at the sides of the gate, recall in style the tomb figurines of the period. The foot end shows a large dragon in a landscape. The ends measure about 25 by 30 and about 19 by 24 inches respectively.The two most important reliefs are, of course, the sides of the sarcophagus. Each side presents five groups of historical personages, illustrating filial piety and other virtues, in a landscape representing the Northern Wei Empire. The variety of conventions used in representing the mountains and trees portrays simply but realistically the Chinese terrain and its richly varied foliage. Short inscriptions identify the filial piety which occupy the lower portion of each side. The space above is filled with symbolic animals and cartouches containing ancestral portraits. The sides measure about 24 inches at the head end, about 20 at the foot end, and are 85 inches long at the bottom and about 88 at the top.The filial piety stories are the same well-known classical themes which appear on the famous Wu tombs, the Painted Basket tomb, and the Lady Yuan reliefs in Kansas City. We find them naively charming, but they held serious meaning for the ancients and still reflect some of the best qualities of Chinese philosophy. Most of them relate exaggerated examples of respect for parents or old age. They vary from the story of Ting Lan, who treated a wooden effigy of his dead mother as though she were alive, to Lao Lai-tzu, whose parents were still alive when he was seventy and who behaved like a child to make them feel young.The Wei sarcophagus was purchased through the Dunwoody Fund. It is now on view in the Oriental galleries with the exhibition of Master Paintings from the Chang Collection of Shanghai lent by C. T. Loo.Referenced Works of Art

Head end of sarcophagus of Prince Cheng Ching showing guardians and conventionalized symbols. Dunwoody Fund

Side of sarcophagus. Detail of filial piety stories. Left to right: Ting Lan, who honored the statue of his mother, Han Po Yuh, who reconciled his mother and father, Kuo Chu, who sacrificed his child for his mother.

Side of sarcophagus. Detail showing filial piety stories in landscape setting. Left: Ming Tse Chien who remained cold so his parents could dress his brothers. Right: Mei Chih, who avenged his father

Protective cover for memorial tablet from Cheng Ching's tomb. A rare example of Chinese art purchased through the Dunwoody Fund

Sarcophagus, with accompanying memorial tablet and cover, made for the Chinese General, Prince Cheng Ching, 524 A.D. The six bas-reliefs comprising this group include the two ends and two sides of the sarcophagus, the tablet, and its cover. The sides are

Credit:

Collection Minneapolis Institute of Arts; The William Hood Dunwoody Fund